Letter: Have you ever heard of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl?

Published: Friday, June 29, 2012 5:30 a.m. CDT

To the Editor:

Have you ever heard of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl? If you said “yes,” then you are among the very few who recognize him as being our only prisoner of war – or POW – still missing in Afghanistan. If fact, June 30 marked the third anniversary of his capture in 2009 by a Taliban insurgent group known as the Haqqani network. Videos released by his captors show him to still be alive, and they also announced he made an unsuccessful escape attempt in 2011 for which he was severely punished and his Taliban guards executed for allowing this to occur.

Sen. John McCain has stated that rescuing the Idaho soldier has been the “highest priority” of U.S. Intelligence, however, to Bergdahl’s parents and advocacy groups, he appears to be forgotten. On Memorial Day an event was held in Washington, D.C., by the veterans group Rolling Thunder with his parents as guests of honor for the purpose of keeping alive the memory of Sgt. Bergdahl. The Bergdahl’s are now speaking out as they fight for his freedom for they are tired of waiting and now feel our government is not doing anything about it.

This war is far from over, though most political leaders including the president on down would rather citizens not be reminded in this election year. The U.S. has lost 2,023 men and women in this conflict, according to www.icasualties.org, with thousands more wounded and still counting. In June alone, 24 more American troops have been killed to date, according to www.icasualties.org. They were all patriotic volunteers with an average age of 26. Gone in the prime of their lives, leaving behind broken dreams and broken hearts. Call your congressman and senator and tell them not to leave Sgt. Bergdahl behind. Help his parents keep his presence alive. God bless the combatants who continue the sacrifice and carry on the burden of preserving our freedom.